Bartel and Szostak Hypothesized That Among a Large Pool of RNA

question 15

Multiple Choice

Bartel and Szostak hypothesized that among a large pool of RNA molecules,some of them may contain the enzymatic ability to catalyze a covalent bond between nucleotides;these can be selected for in the laboratory.The chart above shows the results from their experiment.The x-axis shows the original pool and 10 pools that were derived from their tagging of RNA with specific enzymatic functions;the y-axis shows the rate of phosphoester (covalent) bond formation.Was their hypothesis supported by this experiment and why?

• A)Yes,because pools 1 to 10 show a continual increase in covalent bond formation.
• B)Yes,because the original pool shows some covalent bonds were formed.
• C)No,because there is only a slight increase from the original pool to the first experimental pool.
• D)No,because chemical selection would only increase the rate of covalent bond formation in the first few pools.

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